Method and Madness in the Study of Greek Shamanism: The Case of Peter Kingsley

ln my contribution, 1 first discuss the very first mention of shamanism in classical scholarship and its notable spelling by Creuzer. 1 also note that Creuzer already mentioned the « usual suspects » of Greek shamanism, who ohen appear in the same grouping in ancient texts. These figures drew the attention of classical scholars again at the end of the nineteenth century, and a kind of Greek shamanism, as influenced by the Scythians, was postulated by prominent classical scholars, such as Eric Robertson Dodds and Karl Meuli. Although recent discussions have refuted the influence of Scythian shamanism, Peter Kingsley has tried to revive the notion of Greek shamanism by concentrating on Abaris. ln my contribution I show that his arguments to turn Abaris into a Mongol are based on non-evidence, on distorting available evidence and on misreading sources. ln a positive sense, 1 also discuss our notices about Hermotimos and Aristeas, drawing attention to neglected sources. 1 conclude that in the present state of our evidence we can only say that there was no Greek shamanism and no influence of Central Asia.